Sex differences in the emergence of leadership during competitions within and between groups.
This experiment investigated potential gender biases in the emergence of leadership in groups. Teams played a public-goods game under conditions of intra- or intergroup competition. We predicted and found a strong preference for female leaders during intragroup competition and male leaders during intergroup competition. Furthermore, during intragroup competition, a female leader was more instrumental than a male leader in raising group investments, but this pattern was reversed during intergroup competition. These findings suggest that particular group threats elicit specific gender-biased leader prototypes. We speculate about the evolutionary and cultural origins of these sex differences in the emergence of leadership.
Van Vugt
Mark
M
University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom. mvv@kent.ac.uk
Spisak
Brian R
BR
D005075:Biological Evolution; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D005717:Games, Experimental; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D012933:Social Identification; D012963:Sociometric Techniques; D055815:Young Adult